Top 10 movies of 2005

1. Hotel Rwanda

The story of Rwanda and the war between the Hutus and the Tutsis has long been close to my heart. I was fascinated with the chinese translation of the word Rwanda '如旺达' something like that. Both Don Cheadle and Sophie Okonedo delivered excellent performances that left me shaking my head, murmuring 'fuck they're good' a few times. A really gripping and powerful story about human spirit and the condemmation of gratituous killings and bloodshed. Excellent performance from the actors and a very good representation of the actual story. My favourite scene of the movie was when Cheadle continued to deliver bills to every room to the refugees he help saved, claiming that business is as usual with or without the war.



2. Sideways

My favourite movie of the year 2005. The movie plays with your emotions. It's so fucking funny and sad at the same time and you feel so much for the characters inside. They are as flawed as we are, these 2 guys going on a road trip before 1 heads off to get married. Its one of the most simple stories you'll ever see but it's also one that gets stuck in your head and reflecting about your own life for quite a while.



3. Million Dollar Baby

Best film. Best director. Best Actress. Best Supporting Actor. Enough said. Ok, not enough. Again, it's just a very simple film and I like boxing. Boxing is not the theme of the movie, rather the relationships between the 3 people. Managed to win some of my tears. A very well done movie.



4. Crash

Another movie starring Don Cheadle albeit a lesser but still an important role. The star performer for me was Matt Dillon, a racist cop who humiliated an opulent black couple by molesting the wife. It's a deeply depressing show about the inner demons in all of us and our subconscious racist feelings towards people. Even Ludacris pulled off a commendable performance. The parts with Brendan Fraser and Sandra Bullock, the 2 biggest names were however, a little dry and pointless.



5. Sin City

Critics may not like it but I thought it was pretty awesome. Minus the Owen Wilson story and it would have been some movie. I love the other 2 stories. Mickey Rourke outshone Bruce Willis in this one though it's still a good fight. The monologues, graphical violence and the noir feel made this a masterpiece and repaid my intense anticipation. And who can forget little Nancy, Jessica Alba who turned out just fine.



6. Batman Begins

The best ever Batman movie. And Christian Bale is really Batman. Both are 1.88m and both are so difficult to read. Batman is all about stealth, cool gadgets and martial arts in Gotham City. Thinking back of Batman And Robin with George Clooney making a real fool of himself, Batman Begins eradicates all bad memories with proper direction and Bale himself.



7. Mysterious Skin

Its essentially a very sick movie but the performances of the main actor was amazing. The angst, fragility, desperation and hopelessness written all over his face. He didn't have to say anything for you to know that he has been scarred for life by his baseball coach who sodomized him when he was 9. Add an alien abduction and you have a real bizzare story.



8. Sympathy For Lady Vengeance

Not as disturbing as Old Boy but the movie paces itself well until the twist in the end where the most ordinary folks carry the most dangerous weapons. The law is not always the panecea to problems to do with the people you abhor. I love those pink eyeliners on Lady Vengeance. Very dangerous.



9. A History Of Violence

Oscar-bound and deservedly so. Viggo Mortensen is absoultely scary when he does nothing. His piercing eyes both trying to cover his past and his identity. When violence disrupts a peaceful town, the juxtaposition is just too much that it becomes more disturbing than a movie with gore. The multiple hits on the nose was something I always thought of but I didn't know it could get that bad.



10. King Kong

I love 3 hour long movies except for maybe Harry Potter: Goblet Of Fire and Nixon. When I heard Peter Jackson is doing King Kong and he's doing it the 3 hour way, I knew it would be great. It's really a brilliant follow up to Lord Of The Rings trilogy. I shed the most tears for this movie for no apparent reason. Maybe because King Kong is an alpha male like me who fell to his death. Maybe because Naomi Watts' eyes never left Kong when he fell. Maybe its because the cinematic experience of King Kong on top of the Empire State building fighting the aeroplanes is just an epic on its own and second to none. That scene is truly memorable and I now know why Peter Jackson decided to do film-making watching the 1930 version of Kong.
Beauty killed the monster but the monster lives forever in our minds maginficently and beautifully.

Next year most anticipated movie: V for Vendetta.